NXT has often been accused of being too focused on the matches themselves, and not the most integral aspect of sports entertainment- the storytelling. Many critics would have shut up after witnessing this week’s power-packed show, which featured just two matches and loads of storytelling.
Because of the duration of the matches, they had time to breathe, and each was more than just a collection of spots stitched together. Each match told a story that furthered the character development of the participants involved. The backstage segments too punctuated this forward-thinking approach by the yellow brand. We bring you 5 points that really caught our attention, this week.
#5 From triumph to dismay
This was supposed to be Roderick Strong’s crowning moment. Having shared his story of coming from rags to riches, from a trailer park to a prominent position in the professional wrestling world, his story was inspiring and eye opening. His family was at ringside, to see Strong have his moment in the sun and be crowned the new NXT Champion. For a split second during this hard-hitting match, we actually thought that Strong might have achieved the impossible. Unfortunately, it was all for nought, and the championship is still ‘Glorious’.
Kudos to NXT for making us so invested in a match that did not take place at a Takeover but the weekly television show instead. Kudos to MMA fighter Marina Shafir for being at ringside and adding a new dimension to the contest. Kudos to the commentary dream team of Nigel McGuinness and Mauro Ranallo for getting us so invested in the battle at hand. This was a very different kind of main — a story of dismay and triumph, of highs and lows, of an underdog’s destiny that is yet unfulfilled.
Also read: 5 ideas for Adam Cole’s NXT debut
#4 No rest for the champion
Bobby Roode has been the top guy in NXT for a really long time now, and the list of contenders on his trail has been really heating up. Leading the charge is Drew McIntyre, former 3MB member, who has made a big return to NXT and is looking to garner the same kind of attention that his former partner, Jinder Mahal has achieved. In many ways, a Takeover Special contest between McIntyre and Bobby Roode is a dream match that many in the NXT Universe would really be interested in watching.
In a backstage interview, McIntyre named the greatest NXT Champions and expressed his desire to join that coveted league and hold the prestigious top prize in NXT. We do not doubt that McIntyre will be the next challenger for Roode’s title, despite Kayla Braxton mentioning Killian Dain’s name as part of the title mix.
#3 A major roadblock for Ember Moon
To the NXT Universe, Ember Moon is the next logical challenger for Asuka. However, Ruby Riot begs to differ. The punk rock chick said that everyone had got their singles opportunities against Asuka recently, except for her. To be fair, she is right! We wonder if this means that Riot and Ember Moon will square off to determine who faces Asuka!
Riot has proved of late, that she has the athletic prowess and the tenacity to hang in there with the best of them. Her match with Ember Moon, if it does happen, should be really interesting. It may not equal the Last Woman Standing match, but it should be very good.
#2 A team that does not tag in
It’s no surprise that Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami have not really seen eye to eye, of late. Both men have been defeated by Bobby Roode in big title matches, but while Ohno has been able to swallow the bitter pill and move on with his life, Itami has lashed out and even shown heelish tendencies.
The Kassius Ohno & Hideo Itami vs. SAnitY contest was a very well laid out match, where Ohno, on the apron was distracted by Wolfe on the outside. This meant that Itami, who went in for the tag had no one to tag in and assumed his partner was being difficult. Therefore, he would not tag Ohno in, even when he had the opportunity and subsequently, lost his big match.
This is certainly building to a Kassius Ohno vs. Hideo Itami match. To be honest, we wouldn’t mind that contest at all.
#1 Huge return confirmed for the following week
They were once inseparable, like two brothers. However, sometimes, brothers do turn on one another, and Tommaso Ciampa showed us his true colours at the last Takeover Special event in Chicago. It’s been over a month since we last saw him, but it seems like Johnny Gargano is ready to return to NXT.
Sure, this is almost like the Enzo-Cass storyline and the developing Ryder-Rawley storyline too, but somehow the Ciampa-Gargano split (maybe because it happened first, maybe because NXT does everything much better) seems a lot more serious to us.
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